The world
Mecropolis exists as a projected future of our current reality. In the universe, humanity has discovered the ability to warp space and time, allowing us to travel out into the universe on a scope previously unimaginable. By expanding our reach into space, humanity discovered new elements and natural formations. The most significantfinding was the discovery of hulks: masses of seemingly processed silicon, carbon, and rare earth minerals floating around in a similar formation as the asteroid belt in our own Sol. Humanity exploited the resource rich hulks by mining the resources for shipment back to Earth. However, this process proved incredibly expensive, and it became clear that a colony was needed in the star system containing the hulks. Humanity accomplished this by taking the largest of the hulks and undertaking a hundred-year construction endevour, transforming the hulk into a liveable, breathable synthetic ecosystem. Several different names were reportedly given, but eventually the artifical planet became known to everyone as the Mecropolis. The Mecropolis has several different countries, designed ecosystems, large and small bodies of water, lightly dynamic weather, and an active, earth-like magnetic field. History In the late 21st century, a coalition of American, Chinese, and German scientists created the first practical warp drive capable of faster-than-light travel. The team put a small probe into orbit within our solar systemís asteroid belt and activated the drive aimed away directly away from our sun. The resulting jump sent the probe about 160 astronomical units away from Earth, well outside of our solar system, and took an unfathomably short period of time to get there. It was heralded as a major break though, and suddenly the public interest was held. Private corporations began investing in interstellar research, with the realization that space travel was far more profitable than war-- if you could afford the initial investment. The resources waiting to be gathered in the endless reaches of space were functionally infinite. In 2169, an international team of scientists launched Project Terminus, a program which sent warp-driven probes as far out into the universe as possible. Because the large masses entering warp space was damaging to matter and gravitational fields, the probes had to start the warp jump well outside of the solar system. The first probe, Terminus 1, took two years to travel far enough into empty space. When Terminus 1 initiated the jump, the warp drive displaced enough space to cause an event horizon observable to any amateur stargazer with a moderately powerful telescope. The probe was not heard from again. Scientists say the most likely scenario was that the probe simply jumped too far away to make contact. Terminus 2 was launched months after the first. A successful jump, albeit with less power than the first, and two years later the probeís signal to made it back to Earth. Scientists found the Terminus 2 to be almost one light year away. However, unlike the smaller scale tests which barely left the solar system, Terminus 2 didnít travel in the direction the scientists intended. The probe was traced to a seemingly random point, barely considered the general direction of the original goal. Over the next 31 years, 347 probes were sent out. 163 of them were contacted within the first 5 years of their departure. ------------- First manned mission: 2242 First person to return from warp mission: 2249 First privatized/rewardable warp mission: 2272 Hulks first discovered: 2414 Decision to make colony on Hulks: 2461 First colony founded: 2531 Planetary body considered stabilized: 2592 2901: the Mecropolis delcares independence 3150: beginning of class story arc The Hulks In 2414, a manned warp mission exited into empty space. Telemetry indicated a solar system less than a 6 month journey away from the point of exit. What the scouting team found was a scientific anomaly. Tens of thousands of huge chunks of metal debris, some the size of Texas in diameter, were floating around the systemís sun in at varying distances. Tests of these hulks, as they were coined, revealed they were comprised of seemingly processed metal and concentrated carbon. They were giant balls of easily mineable resources. The system was the 62nd solar system explored since humanity first started manned warp missions in 2242. However, System 62 proved to be the most important discovery in human history. Companies and governments alike scrambled to stake their claim, but due to the years-long journey between System 62 and Earth, it was almost impossible to draw and enforce boundary lines. By 2461, the decision to create a permanent colony in System 62 had been reached. All the worlds greatest minds, supercomputers, and combinations of the two started to work on viable options for colonization. There were only a few hulks dense enough to exert a significant force of gravity, and no hulks held the potential to be terraformed. Instead, the decision was reached to undertake the greatest engineering project ever attempted: create a new celestial body by smashing the hulks together. Truth be told, no one is really sure how it worked. The scientists responsible all claimed the concept wouldnít, couldnít, translate from paper to reality. When it became obvious that the all the reactions had finished, and the body fell into a stable orbit, no one came forward to offer or claim credit. Somehow, through no small combination of genius and serendipity, humanity had created a new planet. The body was dubbed the Meta-Physical Orbiting Platform (MPOP). The first colony, Novakotia, was erected inside of a biodome in 2531, and was comprised mostly of scientists and engineers who started the process of terraforming the barren landscape. Raw materials were transmogrified to provide the building blocks of an organic environment. Water was shipped in from a nebula three years away. Slowly, the MPOP stopped looking like a planetary frankenstein. Through another act of science or magic, the colonists jump started the MPOPís super dense core, giving the body a magnetic field comparable to Earthís. With this revolutionary act, atmosphere started to be retained. Algae was able to grow outside of the biodome, and then fungi, and small plants, and then trees. In 2592, the first human walked on the MPOP outside of the biodome using only a breathing mask and every-day clothing. Founding a Planet Over the next 300 years, more and more people migrated to System 62. More and more bio domes were erected, but in 2746, they became all but abandoned. by that time, the atmosphere had stabilized enough that humans did not need to be confined under their huge glass bubbles. The air was breathable, and measures cleaner than the air on Earth. The residents of the MPOP adopted a new name: the Mecropolis. In 2901, the citizens of the Mecropolis declared independence from Earth. Up until that declaration, every single colony on the planet, barring Novakotia, was effectively owned by a corporation back on Earth. After realizing that most of the prosperity and wealth was being funneled back to the home of humanity, Mecropolans revolted against their corporate overlords. The Earth-bound corporations rallied together, and bankrolled a massive fleet of mercenary ships to go strong arm the separatists. The the mercenaryís surprise, however, the Mecropolans had banded together to form a formidable military force, far more organized than anyone on Earth expected. The great battle for Mecropolan independence ended in less than four hours, with most of the mercenary ships conceding and joining ranks of the Mecropolan navy. After seeing the brute strength the Mecropolis held, Earthís governments were quick to recognize the Mecropolanís newfound independence. From that point on, for the first time in human history, two human-inhabited celestial bodies were not united under the same faction. Novakotia, Santolia, and Bravados The main character in my world is Novakotia, the country which resulted from the first colony on the Mecropolis. Novakotia was one of the leaders in the declaration of Mecropolan independence, despite being the only colony who didnít have a corporate sponsor. Novakotia is bordered by Santolia to the north, and the Confederacy of Bravados to the south. After the declaration of independence, Bravados and Santolia came out as the two colonies with the most military power behind them, and promptly decided the other was evil. Novakotia tentatively became the voice of reason in the middle of two huge (both geographically and militarily) superpowers. In the 29th and 30th centuries, Novakotia was considered a champion of human rights, responsible government, and technological research. However, in 2992, after an expensive project to expand the countryís irrigation system into the wastelands around outside of the border, there was a violent military coup which resulted in the Novak leader, Grand Chancellor Simon, being executed under the guise of deceit and crimes against the people. The ruling that followed was total and ruthless. As years turned to decades, the new regime became the old regime. Slowly, Novak borders were closed off even to minor travel, with the government telling the people that Boros and Santolia had fallen into technologist rebellion, and that the world was growing dangerous. Finally, in 3018, the government declared Novakotia the only safe place on the entire Mecropolis. The Novaks, confirming the insanity for themselves via the internet, hunkered down. For the next 100 years, the Novaksí quality of life, at best, stayed on par. Most of the country felt the economic burden of isolationism. However, they had running water and a steady source of rations, which appeared to be immensely better than the outside world. Occasionally, the government would release some fantastic new technology, but only the wealthy could afford such niceties. The boundaries of Novakotia, Santolia, and Boros all converged near the Novak capital of New Alpha. Novakotiaís boundaries were defined by the large cliffs of raw hulk material which, according to the government, were the only obstacle between Novak independence and the warring world outside. Whenever a citizen committed a particularly insulting crime to the government, they would ship them off to ìguard dutyî where theyíd spend the rest of their lives on top of the wall, defending against would-be infiltrators. The government claimed every citizen had a use, and serving prison times were useless. Family members of the incarcerated would sit and watch the distant figures on the wall, hoping that their loved ones were watching back, thinking of them. However, the reality of the situation was far different than the Novak citizens could realize. In 3120, the internet came back. Suddenly, the entire country could see images and news article a and media from around the world, a privilege not had in over a hundred years. Instead of seeing war and famine and disaster, they saw prosperity and technology and development. Boros and Santolia still hated each other, but both had become superior to Novakotia in terms of technology, military strength, and most importantly, freedom. Additionally, it appeared the rest of the Mecropolis knew more about Novakotia than the Novaks did. In particular, it was revealed the figured on top of the cliff were not, in fact, the incarcerated criminals of Novakotia, but the border patrols of Santolia and Bravados. The ìcriminalsî ones who had supposedly been on the wall were suspected to either be enslaved in far-east work camps, or more likely executed. Open rebellion happened overnight, completely catching the corrupt regime off guard. Most of the Novak military defected instantly, with the high ranking officers and officials being left behind to deal with the nationwide rebellion. Within four days, it looked as though the people of the country would soon be free from the tyranny they had faced for the past century. Then, five days after the rebellion had begun, a Santolian airship crossed the northern border. The official reason put forth by the Santolian Senate told the story of the Novak rebelsí violent uprising against a quiet government, and how the Santolians should be concerned about that violence spilling over into their country. They claimed the airship was just on a fact finding mission to better asses the situation. A day later, Bravados responded by sending an entire fleet over the southern border, making a similar claim as Santoliaís. There was nothing gradual about what happened next. A week after the second Novak revolution began, a single missile launched from Santolia. The Novaks in New Alpha, celebrating their supposedly imminent freedom, watched it trace across the sky like a determined lighting bug. As to grew closer to the Bravados border, smaller erupted from the horizon, dancing around the Santolian missile as it disappeared under the cliff. The muted explosion of a warp bomb echoed in the minds of every Novak citizen, who now felt like ants lying between two warring gods. Technology The technology available in a world greatly impacts the stories told and the events which take place. For instance, the story of a dogfight between two countries could simply not exist if that world hadnít discovered flight yet. In addition to real world information and ideas, the technology available to a creator in a world acts as a source for seeds. If a creator thinks of a certain technology as particularly engaging, they may expand on that interest by by illustrating that technologyís use, telling a story involving that technology, or trying to design the next generation of that technology. In this way, world building can become a vessel for demonstrating, via thought experiment, concept products and services which are currently unviable in the real world. The potential for creative expression via product design is exactly why I chose to make a science fiction reality. The technology and ideas presented in science fiction have influenced the real-world science we apply in todayís consumer and professional technology. In the Foreword of Lawrence Kraussí The Physics of Star Trek, acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking illustrates the relationship between science and science fiction with the following quote: Science fiction ... is not only good fun but it also serves a serious purpose, that of expanding the human imagination. We may not yet be able to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before, but at least we can do it in the mind. There is a two-way trade between science fiction and science. Science fiction suggests ideas that scientists incorporate into their theories, but sometimes science turns up notions that are stranger than any science fiction." The inherent process of discovery, creativity, and analyzation associated with fictional technology makes Sci-Fi a useful medium to facilitate creativity. When building a futuristic society, I looked at todayís necessary technology as a guideline for what tech may be available in the future. In particular, I tried to identify todayís foundational technology: the building blocks of our societyís technology tree. I identified four crucial pieces of technology which are crucial to our modern day lifestyle. I ended up with four foundational technologies of todayís world: The Wheel, The Wing, The Processor, and The Screen*. Once I had these four technologies, I broke each piece of tech down into a concept, identifying the role that technology fills in our lifestyles. From there, I designed the technologies of the future that would serve as analogs, improving on the original function in some way. Foundation Technology: The Wheel The Wheel is critical to society. Transportation, machining, and even making food would be fundamentally different if the wheel did not exist. The wheel is inexpensive, easy to make, and highly adaptable. There are wheels underneath us as we go to work, be it on a bike or in a car. It is because of the wheel that we have paved roads. There are gears in our watches and pulley systems on our crains. Truly, the wheel in the quintessential foundation technology. Future Analog: Antigravity 1000 years in the future, humans finally understand space/time well enough to manipulate gravity. Antigravity (AG) drives in Mecropolis donít rely on pushing against gravity, but instead help a mass ignore gravity. However, AG drives would be expensive and consume energy, so I decided an additional option is a helium-based transportation standard. Since the Mecropolis is a giant ball of diverse metals, and helium is generated from the degradation of heavy metals, the Mecropolans have a surplus of helium reserves which can be mined from the ground, much like oil or natural gas here on Earth. As a result, futuristic airships are a popular form of transportation, and helium ballasts are attached to vehicles to make them lighter and more efficient. This meant that the Mecropolis would need infrastructure to support airships and floating cars. Indeed, during my 3D modeling class, one student chose to model a landing tower for an airship traveling to New Alpha. Foundation Technology: The Wing No formative design has sparked more innovation in the last century than the Wing. With the advent of wings, humans started to reach speeds previously thought impossible. Without the wing, a journey across the Earthís oceans would take weeks or months, as opposed to mere hours. Without the wing, we could have never broken the sound barrier, or travelled into space. The wing changed everything. Future Analog: The Warp Drive Having a faster-than-light (FTL) method of transportation has almost become an assumed technology in most science fiction media. Like the wing, a FTL capable vessel would change everything. In Mecropolis, I was inspired by the concept of an Alcubierre drive, which bends space time around a ship to ride a way of existence to its destination. However, I believe in serendipity, so in the universe of Mecropolis people are relatively unsure of how the drive successfully transcends the speed of light. This concept of unwitting innovation leading to technological success was derived from the chapter ìErrorî in Steven Johnsonís Where Good Ideas Come From. Johnson discusses how Lee de Forest invented the triode, a critical piece of technology in the development wireless transmission, essentially by accident.2 De Forest theorized one method of transmission, but in reality he was fundamentally wrong in how his invention functioned. This kind of serendipity and conceptual evolution fascinating me, and I chose to embrace the idea of productive error when looking at FTL travel. Foundation Technology: The Microprocessor The microprocessor fundamentally changed the way we conduct our lives, from business to pleasure and everything in between. With the advent of super-fast calculation, humanity was able to automate the process of thinking. Today, anyone with a cellular device is walking around with a computer exponentially more powerful than the device used to guide Apollo 11 to the moon and back. The microprocessor is now used in everything from personal computers to toaster ovens, making products more integrated with our lives. Future Analog: Non-Invasive Neural Interface The microprocessor automates many of the experiences we have with technology, so I translated that concept to a Brain-to-Technology bridge which doesnít interfere with the sanctity of the body. For this, I was inspired by brain imaging technology, and technology integration research. Kevin Warwick, a professor at University of Leeds, had a surgical operation to implant a microchip into his body, enabling him to interact and control technology. Not only that, but he implanted a chip in his wife as well, which resulted in a mind-to-mind connection capable of transmitting basic information. This fascinates me, as the ability to translate emotional states or honest intent between two humans could revolutionize interpersonal communication between humans. Additionally, having the ability to supplement human interaction with technology not only provides new and exciting concepts for software and hardware, but also creates new philosophical problems to be resolved. Foundational Technology: The Screen The screen, be it LCD, CRT, Film Projector or electronic paper is how we interact with the processor. Humans are visual creatures, and the screen acts as a bridge between information and perception. Our cell phones, perhaps the most pervasive technology in todayís world, have started to trend towards larger and larger screens. The screen size is inversely related to how many physical buttons a phone has. This is because a screen, combined with touch-sensitivity, can become an infinite array of different buttons. With a tap of a finger, suddenly the cell phone is a calculator. A couple taps later, itís a map. On a similar vein, most living rooms in the US are likely to contain a television of some sort. By pressing a few buttons on a remote, the content being displayed on that television can change without the object changing at all. Future Analog: The Tracking Laser Projector Inspired by Google Glass, the Tracking Laser Projector (TLP) is a concept I designed to allow any 3D space to be integrated with transmittable media. Google Glass works by having a small projector project images directly onto your eye.3 This creates the illusion of a screen floating in the middle of nowhere. The TLP uses this same concept, but uses low powered lasers shot from several stationary pods placed strategically around the room, with each laser representing a single pixel, to project an image into each eye as you move around a room. The end result is effectively a hologram capable of being displayed anywhere around a TLP equipped room. TLPs can be thought of similarly to TVs in todayís world, where each household is almost expected to have at least one TLP ready room. The major difference between the TLP and a TV is that the TLP is a cross platform device, meaning it can integrate the signals from a news broadcast, a cell phone (or future analog), and a video call with your mother-in-law all at the same time. The TLP expands media outside of the confines of a screen to create an interactive living space. References